Ballot-pouch.



N. BEMAN. BALLOT POUCH. uruonroiw rmm In 7, 1908.

911,2-86.- v Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

- IN VENTOR.

7-": mm": PETER! C0,, wnsumurcu, n. c

Ares rn'rnn" ntro NATHAN BEMAN, or SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

, BALLOT-POUCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Application filed May-7, 1908. Serial no. 431,533.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN'BEMAN, a

citizen of the United. States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ballot-Pouchesof which the following is a specification.

My present invention has reference to improvements in ballot-pouches, such as illus trated and described in United States Patent No. 806,050, issued to me November 28, 1905. The invention has for its main object to provide a simple and inexpensively constructed pouch of the above mentioned class which will be convenient in use and adapted to be readily transported where wheeled conveyances are unavailable Y A further object of this invention is to provide a fastening means which is capable of being employed for securing the overlapping pouch-flaps of the character herein-' after more particularly specified, in such condition that ballots may be introduced when required within the pouch, and at other times such depositing of ballots is absolutely prevented.

Other objects of this invention will be clearly evident from the following detailed description of the invention. 30

' With such ends in view, the invention consists 1n the novel arrangement and comb natlon of the various devices and'parts emolo ed'in carr in out the invention as well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating an embodiment of my invention,Fig-

ure 1 is aperspective view of the-improved ballot-pouch shown in its closed and locked condition; Fig. 2 is alike view of the pouch in its most open conditlon; and Fig. 3, a

similar view of the pouch with the inner flap closed and secured, and as it appears when ready to receive ballots. Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly vertical section, of the pouch with its various flaps closed. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the fastening frame, showndetached- The reference numeral 10, in these drawings, represents a bag orpouch which may be constructed of leather, canvas, or other suitable flexible material. this bag and secured thereto along its for- At the top of' the side edges, as at 12, to about half way ward edgell and the adjacent portions of to the back, is secured a plate 13, but leaving the back edge 13 and portions of the side edges 13" of the plate unconnected so as to afford an opening 14 at the back, and, as at deposited ballots may be poured out. This plate is provided'with a ballot-receiving slot 15 and also has reliably secured thereto eyes 16 and l6arranged in two parallel vertical planes.

Secured along the back edge of the sack is a flap 17 provided with wings 17- which are secured to the side edges from the back to'within a short distance of the front of the bag or, at least, sufficiently far to extend beyond the front ends of the openings 1% so as to overlie the latter when the wings are folded inwardly upon creased lines 18 and thence laid down upon the plate 13 with the flap 17 thereabove. Spaced apertures 19 are provided in the flap and its wings to allow the eyes 16 and 1 6 to extend therethrough. A slot 20 is also provided in the flap 17 to register with the slot 15 of the plate. There is desirably provided a relatively small flap 21 secured along one of its edges to the flap 17 in proximity of the slot .20 whereby the latter may be temporarily covered between the successively deposited ballots.

For securing in closed position the flap 17 above. the wings17 and likewise to prevent the latter from being withdrawn, so as to cover all avenues to the interior of the sack excepting the. aforesaid registering slots 15 and 20,,Iprovide a frame for engaging in the eyes 16, 16 above the flap 17. More.

specifically, the frame consistsof two parallel arranged side members 22 and 22 which are spaced apart so as to be respectively'inserted through the eyes 16 and 16 and are connected by an end member 23 which is provided at its juncture with the member 22 with a loop 24 through which 1 and the adjacent of the. eyes 16 is passed the bow of a padlock 25, asshown in Fig. 3. Secured to the front of the bag and along its upper edge is another,fiap 26 which is arranged to. cover the previously described flaps when the voting is completed. This flap is provided with spaced apertures 27 for said eyes and is secured against opening by the side members of said frame, which has been previously used for holding down the flap 17, being reinserted through said eyes which now protrude through the apertures of the flap 26 and above the latter. The padlock is again utilized, as above eX- plained, and additional security may be had against the sack being tampered with by unscrupulous parties, by the employment of a wire 28 passed through holes 29 in proximity of the extremities of the frame members 21 and uniting the wire ends with a suitable seal, such as 30.

To facilitate the carrying of the pouch, I provide means such as a loop-handle 31 and which may be used to take a strap or rope when the pouch is to be secured to a horse in conveying the same through a mountainous district. In the construction of the pouch the apertures of the flaps which accommodate the eyes are desirably safeguarded from tear and. wear by suitable metallic gromets; and the various joints are made by rivets or felled, as most suitable to the material employed in the manufacture of the In operation, the pouch would first be opened as in Fig. 2 to permit the voting i11- spectors, or the public, to see that the bag is empty. The flap 17 with its wings 17 is folded in as described and laid down upon the plate 13 when upon being secured by the frame in locked position, as represented in Fig. 3, the pouch is ready to receive the voters ballots. After the ballots have been deposited through the registering slots 15 and 20 of the plate and flap, respectively, the frame is withdrawn and upon throwing back the flap 17 and inverting the pouch the ballots may be emptied for counting. Upon the completion of the count the ballots are restored to the bag and the pouch closed by laying the flaps 17 and 26 in superposed position upon the plate 13, whereupon the frame is engaged in the eyes 16, 16, and thus secured by the padlock, and, finally, upon threading a wire 28 through the frame-holes 29 and sealing the same, the pouch is ready to be delivered to a messenger for transporting to a county seat or State capital for a recount, or for future'reference, as may be the custom or requirement.

Having described my invention, what I claim, is-

1. In a ballot-pouch, the combination with a bag provided with two flap-closures which open from opposite sides of the bag, one of said flaps being provided with wings and a ballot-receiving slot, of a plate fixedly secured along three of its edges to the bag and provided with a ballot-receiving slot arranged to register with said flap-slot, eyes secured to the plate and arranged to extend through apertures provided in the flaps, and means engageable with said eyes for securing one of said flaps upon the plate or both of the flaps in superposed condition thereon.

2. In a ballot-pouclnthe combination with the bag and a plate secured along certain of its edges to the mouth of the bag, of a. plurality of flaps secured to the bag and arranged to interlap from opposite sides, one of said flaps and the plate being provided with registering slots, and means coacting with devices provided upon said plate for securing the flaps in superposed position upon the plate.

A ballot pouch comprising a bag, a. stiff plate secured to the margin about the bag-mouth and provided with attached eyes and a slot, a flap secured to the bag-mouth at the rear and also along the sides, said flap being provided with apertures to ac commodate said e and also with a slot to register with the plate-slot, a flap secured to the aforesaid flap, another flap secured to the bag at its front and provided with apertures to accommodate said eyes, a frame adapted to engage in said eyes and provided with means whereby it may be secured with a lock to one of said eyes.

a. In a ballot pouch, the combination with a bag, of a slotted flap secured along the back edge of the bag and provided with wings which are respectively secured to the opposite sides of the bag and adapted to be folded inwardly, a flap secured to said flap to provide a closure for the slot thereof, a flap secured to the front edge of the bag and arranged to overlie both of the aforesaid flaps when in closed positions with respect to the bag and the slot, and means for securing the flaps in such positions.

In a ballot pouch, the combination with a bag provided with a flap closure secured along the back edge of the bag and provided with wings which are respectively secured to the opposite sides of the bag and adapted to be folded inwardly, another flap secured to the front edge of the bag, of a plate socured along the front and opposite sides to the bag, said first named flap and the plate being provided with registering slots, eyes provided upon the plate and adapted to extend through apertures provided in both of the flaps and the wings, and means engageable with the eyes for securing the flaps in closed position.

NATHAN BEMAN.

lVitnesses H. D. ALLISON, Honaon BARNES. 

